(Oops, this post is a little late & does not correspond with our travel schedule, but if you want to read a Vienna post in the middle of Prague posts, here ya go!)
Being on a trip called “Music Centers of the World,” I was looking forward to the operas and the sounds of the city, but I was blown away by the sights and the quirky art and architecture I stumbled upon. On our first day in Vienna, it was amusing to see unconventional styles juxtaposed with the traditional buildings. Surrealism and optical illusions are a few of my favorite art styles, and when I discovered that an optical illusion museum existed in Vienna, it immediately became my first priority.
Caroline and I arrived at the museum after a lovely tour of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a visit to "Demel" (a swanky café that served the best coffee I’ve ever tasted), and after a pleasant stroll through the beautiful Volksgarten. The museum was more interactive than I expected, making me more enthusiastic about the featured artwork. Upon entering, black and white paintings of various patterns filled the walls.
Further into the room, there was a space leading to the infinity mirrors. A little boy came up behind us and slammed the door, “locking” us in the small mirrored room; there were a few children running amuck (but it still added to the character of the place)!
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| Infinity Mirror |
Various photo-taking stations were inside the museum, along with a large rotating tunnel splattered with multiple neon glow-in-the-dark colors, which caused some disoriented reactions. Optical illusion art is fantastic for its fun, whimsical essence, and its ability to challenge perceptions of what reality is. Surrealism holds similar qualities, but with an added element of the uncanny and a general “eeriness”.
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| Some wacky, slanted room |
A building that my roommates and I passed a day earlier had a very surrealistic feel. The windows were covered in old photos of zoomed in faces and eyes that matched the overall grey appearance: it was the most intriguing modern structure I had seen that day. It held an intimidating, mysterious, and unusual effect, reminiscent of the television show, The Twilight Zone. I suppose whenever I see a single giant eye, it makes me think of surrealism haha 👁. It was an unexpected feature that I was happy to find.
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| Eyeball windows |
On the third day, the class visited Zentralfriedhof -the grave site of many famous composers - including Beethoven. The grave that caught my attention did not belong to a composer, but instead, the Austrian film actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr who passed away about 18 years ago. The vertical rods with metal spheres clustered in the center formed a simplified version of Lamarr’s face (if observed from the correct angle). On the sign below, it shows an example of what the face looks like, which was helpful for figuring out where to stand and to recognize the purpose of the artful arrangement.
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| Hedy Lamarr's grave |
Although these photos may not reflect what Vienna is usually known for, it was incredibly cool to see some of my favorite modern art styles with the historic landmarks, both contributing to the city’s eclectic feel. I cannot wait to visit Vienna again in February!
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